The Better Outcomes Show

Written by: Rafael E. Salazar II MHS OTR/L
  • Summary

  • Exploring the possibilities of a new healthcare.

    Let’s get real: Healthcare is broken. You know it. I know it. Every clinician who came into this field from a desire to care for others, knows this to be undeniably true. We feel it everyday when we enter our clinics, hospitals, and practices. We feel the burden of time-based productivity metrics, utilization rates, and the expectation to behave like cogs in a giant, soul-crushing machine aimed at extracting revenue from our patients in exchange for “units” of treatment.

    Healthcare should be about one thing: PEOPLE! Yet how many clinics, organizations, or healthcare professionals live their lives by the numbers? Metrics & spreadsheets drive most of our healthcare decision makers and administrators. That leaves patients -the people we serve- lost in the mix. Patient’s feel lost, forgotten, and ignored by a system that prioritizes efficiency & productivity over their own personal experiences, priorities, or goals.

    It’s time for clinicians to finally stand up and say what we’ve all been thinking for so long: enough is enough!

    It’s time for healthcare organizations to commit to serving the individual needs of each unique patient that they are charged with serving.

    Join Rafael E. Salazar II, MHS, OTR/L (Rafi), principal of Rehab U Practice Solutions and host of The Better Outcomes Show as he explores the possibilities of a new healthcare. Guests range from clinicians trying new techniques and treatments to executives and entrepreneurs exploring new service delivery methods, business models, and organizational structures.
    Copyright Rehab U Practice Solutions (SALAZAR ENTERPRISE, LLC). All Rights Reserved.
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Episodes
  • 148: AI Healthcare Phone Service to Improve Patient Access
    Jan 28 2025

    Can AI Healthcare Phone Services Increase Patient Access & Improve Engagement?

    You know what frustrates many patients (including yours truly)? Phone trees. "Press one to select scheduling" (Presses 1) "By pressing 1 you have indicated that you would like to connect to scheduling. Is this correct? Press 1 to confirm or 2 to cancel". It drives many patients to hand up the phone, drop off the schedule, or go find another healthcare provider. But what if there was a way that automated phone messages could increase access, patient engagement, and experience? Enter an AI Healthcare Phone Service.

    If implemented well, AI has the ability to greatly increase practice efficiency and allow clinicians to actually spend more time delivering care. The same holds true for the administrative process of care. Healthcare workers, including office managers and patient access personnel who manage scheduling, struggle with the overwhelm of more phone calls and requests than they can manage. And, despite the fact that many healthcare providers offer an online patient portal, only around 30% of patients actually use those portals. Patients still want to talk on the phone with their providers. So, this week, I speak with Ada Andruszkiewicz from Talking.ai about how implementing AI into processor care can actually increase patient access and improve human connection in healthcare.

    What we cover in this Episode:

    -The winding road from tech development to the healthcare SaaS market
    -Burnout in Healthcare
    -Understanding Value in Healthcare Technology
    -Challenges in running independent healthcare practices
    -How implementing technology can actually increase human connection in -healthcare
    -Thoughtful implementation of Artificial Intelligence in healthcare
    -Deploying an AI Healthcare Phone Service in a practice

    Full episode note: https://rehabupracticesolutions.com/better-outcomes-148

    Learn More: https://rehabupracticesolutions.com
    Podcast: https://www.betteroutcomes.show
    Get the Book: https://amzn.to/3M2UZ6x
    Book a call with me: https://calendly.com/rehabu/discovery
    Connect with Me: https://www.rafisalazar.com


    If you'd like to learn more about Strata EMR & RCM and achieving a 99.99% reimbursement rate for your PT, OT, or SLP Clinic head over to stratapt.com and book a demo with their team!

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    38 mins
  • 147: Will Value-Based Care Kill Private Practices?
    Jan 14 2025

    Is Value-Based Care Too Much for Independent Healthcare Practices?

    I've talked about the consolidation in the healthcare market before. I recently sat down with the folks at StrataPT to talk about PE firms buying up healthcare practices and how small, independent healthcare practices are beginning to feel the pressure. But one thing I haven't discussed on the show is what exactly has caused the consolidation in healthcare (big players buying up little players). Over the years, many independent healthcare practices have been purchased by either private equity firms or health systems/hospitals. But why?

    Part of the drive for this consolidation stems from economies of scale. Big healthcare systems and hospitals leverage their size to combat rising overhead costs, declining reimbursement, and even compliance and the ability to participate in alternative payment models. That last one is an interesting take that I hadn't considered before. But, over the holidays I read an article entitled Value-Based Payment and Vanishing Small Independent Practices. In this article, the authors argue that one driving factor for the consolidation in the healthcare market stems from the fact that value-based payment models require a lot of administrative work & data management that independent healthcare practices struggle to manage. So, this week, I take a dive into this idea and discuss some ways that independent healthcare practices can maintain viability in the world of big healthcare.

    What we cover in this Episode:

    -Understanding how Big Healthcare benefits from value-based payment models
    -How economies of scale help improve data exchange and combat decreasing reimbursement in healthcare
    -Understanding Value in Healthcare
    -Challenges in running independent healthcare practices
    -Independent Healthcare practice as a business
    -Some strategies that independent healthcare practices can employ to remain competitive
    -How to create an effective healthcare positioning strategy to thrive in the current healthcare landscape

    Full episode note: https://rehabupracticesolutions.com/better-outcomes-147

    Learn More: https://rehabupracticesolutions.com
    Podcast: https://www.betteroutcomes.show
    Get the Book: https://amzn.to/3M2UZ6x
    Book a call with me: https://calendly.com/rehabu/discovery
    Connect with Me: https://www.rafisalazar.com


    If you'd like to learn more about Strata EMR & RCM and achieving a 99.99% reimbursement rate for your PT, OT, or SLP Clinic head over to stratapt.com and book a demo with their team!

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    53 mins
  • 146: What is Healthcare Positioning?
    Jan 7 2025

    What is Healthcare Positioning?

    When I talk to clients about Healthcare Positioning, the first question to address is “What is positioning?” And that’s a fair question. I usually tell people that positioning involves communicating the value you/your company creates for your customers/clients in a way that differentiates you from competitors and builds perceived credibility & authority to your ideal target market. This week on the podcast, I take a deep dive into the idea of healthcare positioning strategy. I discuss how to develop an effective positioning, some challenges and pitfalls that many of my clients have fallen victim to, and some thoughts around the nuances of positioning in healthcare vs. other industries.

    What we cover in this Episode:

    -Define healthcare positioning strategy
    -Marketing strategies that work in healthcare
    -Communicating Value in Healthcare
    -The goals of healthcare positioning
    -Identifying your target market in healthcare
    -Using healthcare positioning to make strategic business decisions
    -How to create an effective healthcare positioning strategy

    Full episode note: https://rehabupracticesolutions.com/better-outcomes-146

    Learn More: https://rehabupracticesolutions.com
    Podcast: https://www.betteroutcomes.show
    Get the Book: https://amzn.to/3M2UZ6x
    Book a call with me: https://calendly.com/rehabu/discovery
    Connect with Me: https://www.rafisalazar.com


    If you'd like to learn more about Strata EMR & RCM and achieving a 99.99% reimbursement rate for your PT, OT, or SLP Clinic head over to stratapt.com and book a demo with their team!

    Show more Show less
    52 mins

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